Vehicles typically include a cruise control function that enables a driver to select a cruise control or cruising speed. The cruise control automatically adjusts at least one of the vehicle's braking and acceleration to maintain the selected speed.
With reference to FIG. 7, existing cruise control systems include a cruise control program responsive to an ON switch 701, a set speed button 702, a speed increase button 703, a speed decrease button 704, and a resume button 705. The ON switch 701 enables the set speed button 702. The set speed button 702 causes the vehicle to adopt a current or present speed as the cruising speed. The speed increase 703 and decrease 704 buttons cause the vehicle to increase or decrease the cruising speed. The resume button 705 causes the vehicle to restore the most recent cruising speed. The driver typically disengages cruise control by pressing on the vehicle's brake pedal.
Typical cruise control programs fail to: (1) display the current cruise control speed, (2) enable a driver to pick from multiple cruise control setpoints, and (3) enable the driver to pick or view cruise control setpoints when the cruise control is OFF (i.e., when the user is prevented from adopting a cruising speed).